The Denver Nuggets don’t care to imagine a world where they can’t rely on Nikola Jokic to keep them relevant in the championship conversation. But according to Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke, there is a world where they have to move on from Jokic, and it’s not as far off as he’d like.
“I think that for us as an organization, going into that second apron is not something that we’re scared of,” said Kroenke in a media interview. “I think there are rules around it that we need to be very careful of with our injury history. The wrong person gets injured, and very quickly, we’re in a scenario that I never want to have to contemplate, and that’s trading No. 15. So we’re very conscious of that pushing forward, and providing the resources that we can when the moment arrives. But that second apron, is it a hard cap? I’m not 100% sure, but it is something teams are aware of going forward.”
Kroenke also spoke on Jokic extension talks, with his current contract set to expire in 2028. While he wants Nikola to re-sign, he made no promises about the future.
“We’re definitely going to offer it,” said the Nuggets owner. “I’m not sure if he’s going to accept it or not because we’re also going to explain every financial parameter around him signing now versus signing later.”
The Nuggets are only two years removed from their championship run, which was the first in franchise history. Since that time, Nikola Jokic has only gotten better and has carried the Nuggets to contention despite losing key players from their 2023 team, such as Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
This past season, Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game on 56.0% shooting. He was second in MVP voting as he led the Nuggets to the fourth seed in the West. Things were looking good until the second round, when they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games.
This defeat came after the firing of Michael Malone, amid reports of division and animosity in the locker room. As the Nuggets start fresh with new leadership, their stance on Jokic hasn’t changed, but there are some things they cannot control.
Much like the situation in Boston with Jayson Tatum, if a major injury were to happen to someone like Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., or Jokic himself, the Nuggets would be stuck in NBA purgatory, in between contention and competing for the draft lottery.
If the situation ever got unsalvageable, the Nuggets would seemingly trade Jokic as a last resort, and the haul they would get for him would be historically massive. Teams like the Knicks, Lakers, Bulls, or Spurs would give up everything for Jokic, a 3x MVP, former NBA champion, and 7x NBA All-Star.
At minimum, the Nuggets would get back a number of draft picks and several young players, likely making a deal that included three or four teams. While a blockbuster trade like that might be enough to put the Nuggets on a path to rebuilding, they’d be hard-pressed to find any player (in the draft or free agency) better than Jokic is right now.
So, for team owner/governor Josh Kroenke, he must do everything he can to maximize Jokic’s game and make the most of his status as the greatest player in the NBA right now. Besides good health, the Nuggets will need the right roster to succeed, and that starts now, with enough planning and foresight to make the necessary improvements.
